Dragon Heart
by bitbyboth
Summary: AU. Nero is alone in the city of Fortuna, even his brother and sister have turned against him once his demonic heritage is discovered. There's only one person who understands him...and he's not really human. Slight DantexNero themes.
1. Chapter 1

Dragon Heart CHAPTER 1

Yeah, I know, the title is silly and I don't really care lol. I wrote this for the Fairytale contest on the DantexNero club on DA. There are 2 chapters, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Also, this is DantexNero just in case you didn't get that :3 Enjoy!

* * *

Nero grumbled profanity as he struggled against his bindings. His hands were tied behind his back, both to each other and also to the stake that his back was pressed tightly against. His demonic arm had the strength to rip the ropes apart but his left hand couldn't pull as hard in the other direction and he could feel rope burn setting in painfully on his human flesh.

The prisoner was trying really hard not to listen to the old man ranting in front of him, but the longer he wheezed on the harder it was to do so. Instead he decided to focus on what brought him here-to his current situation. It was his demon blood, obviously, but more accurately it was the fact that his right arm was a devil's arm. Demons were despised in Fortuna, but there was good reason for their hatred. It seemed like the city was under siege by the creatures constantly, and one especially pesky phoenix that had harassed the city since the days of Sparda.

The Order of the Sword were the knights that protected the walls. It was the Order that Nero himself was a part of…or at least he had been until this morning. Nero was arguably the best knight the city had. Not in terms of leadership or responsibility as those weren't his fortes, but no one could get the upper hand on the young man in a fight. Even Credo, the Captain of the Order and his older brother had trouble dueling with him.

It appeared that hadn't saved him however as here he was about to be offered up to a dragon-a demon in and of itself, but no one in Fortuna seemed to understand this and trying to explain it was blasphemy. The Fortunian people worshiped dragons like divine beings because Sparda was a dragon and it was said that all dragons were of his blood. Nero thought it was crazy but there was no talking to them.

Nero had been hiding his demonic appendage successfully for almost a year now, claiming it an injury and keeping it tightly wrapped up whenever he was out. His mistake had come only one day ago. The bandages on his arm needed changed after they became torn by some roughhousing with his favorite sparring partner. He was in his own room unwrapping the bandages when his sister had entered, catching him off guard. There was no way to miss the freakish glowing arm and she'd panicked. Credo was away though so Nero had gotten the chance to stop her from running off before he could calm her down. He wanted to keep it between them. He was still him, still human.

Then there was this morning…

_Nero's eyes fluttered open as he felt his arms roughly grabbed and he was yanked out of bed. He struggled, the strength of his right arm threw off one attacker before shoving the other away. They were both men from the Order and he recognized them both. He didn't have time to question what the hell they were doing in his room before he felt the bandages torn off his arm and quickly moved to try to hide it between his chest and other arm as he whirled to see who else was after him. _

_His mouth went dry when he saw his brother, his face twisted in disgust as he threw the bandages to the ground._

"_Credo, wait-it's not what you think-" The words died in his throat as the other two men in the room turned their swords to his neck and Credo produced some rope. It wasn't worth it to fight, he was the best the Order had, but he couldn't kill these guys even if they would end his own life in the blink of an eye. Besides that his weapons, both his sword Red Queen and his modified crossbow Blue Rose were out of reach. He could try to grab for them but they would slit his throat before the weapons would be any use._

_So he was tied up and hauled to headquarters. It was humiliating. The entire city saw him, saw his arm and assumed he was evil. They screamed at him and some people even spit at him. Being locked alone in a cell was probably the biggest reprieve of his day. At least there was no one there to judge him, but then again, there was no one there to talk to, to distract him. He was alone with his thoughts._

Nero was drawn back from his memories as he realized his Holiness was finishing up his long-winded spiel, and drawing attention back to him.

"It is because of _this_," rasped Sanctus, making a sweeping gesture with his arm toward Nero, "that we must remain ever vigilant! Even those around us... could be _demons_."

Nero let out a humorless laugh. "I'm the demon here, huh? Tell me then what is it I did that was so bad?"

"You are a _demon_. You cannot deny that you wield demonic power. All the proof needed is in your arm."

He scoffed. "I haven't _done_ anything."

"Then you have nothing to fear from the dragon."

Nero bared his teeth in anger. "Yeah, the dragon. If he doesn't eat me you'll still just leave me out here to get devoured by wolves, or freeze, or starve to death," he snapped. "You want to know something? If I'm the demon here then I don't want to be human."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd and a choked sob from a woman-not just any woman either. Kyrie. He'd trusted her, he'd believed in her not to betray him and she'd turned him in. He couldn't form any pity for her. For all she knew she'd condemned him to death.

That wasn't how it was going to play out but she didn't know that. No one but Nero did. How did he know the dragon wasn't going to eat him? Simple. He knew the dragon and…they were dating…kind of. He wasn't precisely sure what to call their relationship but the dragon wasn't going to eat him…not in the flesh tearing way anyway.

Knowing that he wasn't going to die didn't improve his mood by much however. He was a damn knight for the city. He protected them from demons and the fact they'd turned on him at the drop of a hat was enraging. He had a demonic arm, yes but that didn't change who he was. It didn't make him any less human. It didn't make him inherently evil.

They couldn't understand though. How could they? Demons were evil. Only Sparda-who was technically a dragon type demon-was an angel. They elevated a demon to a holy entity but killed any other demons as apparently Sparda and other dragons were the only possible exceptions to the rule.

The Fortunian people all left in a crowd with Sanctus leading the way. _Like a group of sheep_, Nero mused to himself. He refused to curse and scream at them or to even look at them. Instead he turned his attentions to the coming twilight. The sun's warm red glow caused a rainbow of light in the cloudless sky as it competed with the inky indigo creeping in from the east sparkling with stars like dewdrops on a fallen leaf. Twilight was the end of one day, but inevitably the birth of another would come. It felt symbolic in a way. Even when he got free he couldn't ever return to Fortuna.

He didn't know how long it was going to take the dragon to show up, he usually came looking for him after nightfall though, when he wouldn't be easily spotted. Nero was fairly determined that he didn't want to be tied up when he appeared. He thrashed, clawed and fought with all his might against the ropes until his shoulders, arms and wrists were screaming with fatigue and he had to give up.

He let out a long sigh as he tilted his head back against the post, looking up at the sliver of moon that was available. The stars were actually rather beautiful this far from the city, no light to dim their glimmering brilliance.

He tilted his head back down again as he heard a flapping noise, one that was entirely familiar to him. The dragon landed gracefully, his body more serpentine than one might expect. He was covered in bright red scales, except for his belly which was black, and the ebony horns that were on the top of his head. The wings protruding from his back were ebony as well and thick enough to use as a shield if the situation required. There was a mane that started on the top of his head that ran all the way down to his bladed tail that was white in hue.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? I thought only virgins got sacrificed at the stake," the dragon teased, his mouth didn't move as he spoke because he didn't need it to in his current form, but his lips were curved in a grin.

"Oh can it and get me outta here, would ya?" he muttered angrily, he was really not in the mood to be taunted.

"Hey, just 'cause the people who did this are assholes is no reason to take it out on me," he said, dipping his head down so their blue eyes met.

Nero let out a sigh of defeat and felt a slight smirk quirk his lips as his partner butted his head against his cheek in a comforting gesture.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sore, tired and pissed off so could you let me out of these ropes? Please?" he added as an afterthought.

"Oh, I even get a please? How could I say no to that? You're gonna owe me though," he stated as he twisted his body around. Nero pulled his wrists apart to hold the ropes taut as the dragon's tail slashed forward and sliced the rope clean through. A second later an arm was around him, keeping his knees from buckling and collapsing to the ground.

Nero let his arms wrap around the man's neck. "Thanks Dante," he whispered into his throat before letting go. He tried to back away but the other man wouldn't let him, his arm around his waist like a steel cable. Nero didn't struggle, he was too tired.

"I'm sorry," the older male said sincerely, getting a slight nod in response. "…You want me torch the place for you?"

That got a smile. "Not before I get my stuff."

"That's the spirit!" He ruffled the young man's hair and Nero swat his hand away. "So what happened?"

"Got careless. Kyrie saw my arm."

Dante grimaced and hissed in a breath through his teeth .

"Yeah, I know. I tried to explain. I got her to calm down and told her not to tell anyone, but of course she told Credo…" he sighed and made a face like there was a bitter taste in his mouth. "They tied me up while I was still sleeping and hauled me in this morning."

Dante's gloved hand caressed his cheek and he leaned into the touch. It was crazy to his mind that the one person he could trust wasn't part of his family-not even part of his city. A person he'd only known for a few months, but seemed able to accept everything about him. It was what he wanted, and it was what he needed as well.

"I need to go back one more time and get my stuff, but I have to be careful."

"We better wait until later. Let's go home for now," he suggested nuzzling the young man's hair. Nero knew he was talking about his place, though it piqued his interest that he called it 'home' when he was referring to both of them. Of course, that seemed the logical choice; for Nero to stay with him. He had a few times before, so it wasn't that much of a stretch.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go home," he whispered.

* * *

Every dragon collected treasure, however every dragon had a different opinion on what treasure was. Some liked silver and gold and all that glittered and some preferred pieces of art or even rocks. Whatever the case, anyone would find out what a dragon collected if they managed to get far enough into their lair.

Nero had been to Dante's den many times, but each time, if he cared to look, he found a new devil arm, or other weapon that his counterpart had accumulated. Dante _loved_ weapons. That was how the two of them originally got to talking. The dragon was intrigued by Red Queen and Blue Rose and wanted to add them to his massive collection.

Nero's answer was a resounding 'no' with some more colorful language sprinkled in to show the disinterest he had in such a plan. Therefore Dante suggested he show how good he was at using such weapons. Nero heartily agreed to the spar.

The dragon won their fight, but found the young man enough of a challenge to be entertaining, and offered to spar with him again sometime.

Nero, with his pride stinging, had agreed immediately. After that they met once a week for months while the young knight was out on patrol. Through the meetings they learned about one another, their lives, problems and joys. They gradually became more than sparring partners. The two connected in a way they never had with anyone else. They were both half-devils, the differential in strength between them was only because Dante was older and had more time to accumulate power.

Nero could feel himself relaxing as he walked further into the cave Dante called home. After being expelled from Fortuna it was the only place he could feel safe now. The place was lit and warmed by alcoves where a red fire burned that didn't produce smoke. The 'treasure' room was enormous, lined and piled with weaponry. They always stopped there first, the dragon's icy eyes flicking around and taking a quick inventory before he darted into another tunnel.

A dragon's lair was built like a labyrinth, and Dante's was no different on that front. The first few times Nero had come he had had to stick right at his partner's side or risk getting lost in the maze. He could find his way around fairly easily now, especially to the place he assumed that Dante had taken off to-the bedroom-or chamber more accurately since the place didn't _really_ have 'rooms.'

He followed at a slow pace, taking his time to look around, letting the fingers of his devil bringer trace the alcoves in the walls, a flame reaching out to lick at his digits once in awhile. The heat didn't hurt him through the armor, which seemed strange since if someone touched it he could feel the warmth of their skin. He'd always wondered a bit about it but figured being fire retardant came from the strange appendage just like his amplified healing, strength and speed.

His left wrist had healed from the rope burn and his muscles had stopped being so sore, which was a relief at the same time it just reminded him of how burnt out he was in every other way, mentally and emotionally. The physical pain gave him something to focus on away from the idea that his own brother and sister had betrayed him, claimed him a demon and were prepared to leave him for dead.

He sighed sadly, so lost in thought he didn't even notice as Dante slipped up behind him until his arms wrapped around him, pulling him back into his chest.

"Dante-"

"Stop worrying about what they think. You are the way you are. Having demon blood doesn't make you bad and it doesn't make you good. It's actions that decide that and if they're too thick to see that then that's their problem."

Nero shook his head and disentangled himself from the embrace. "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I'm just…tired," he said as he started again down the hallway.

Dante gently grabbed his demonic arm before he could get away completely. The motion caught his attention and he quirked an eyebrow.

"I want to talk to you about something," he admitted. He hated seeing the young spitfire so down. He thought he'd almost prefer it if he were angry.

"Yeah, okay…" he said slowly, perplexed.

"I know what kind of demon you are," he stated.

Nero's puzzled expression stayed firmly in place. "You do? Well…why haven't you told me before?"

"I thought it might be better if you found out on your own, like I did."

"What made you change your mind?"

"You. I just don't want you to be so hard on yourself…so down. Fortuna made the mistake, not you. You're a dragon, just like me, Nero."

His blue eyes looked up sharply at first confused, then relieved then, suddenly, disbelieving. "Don't lie to me."

"I ain't lyin' kid. No reason to,"

Nero met his icy gaze head on, searching for any sign of weakness. Any sign that he wasn't being entirely truthful, but could find none. "I can't be," he said finally.

"And why can't you?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for words. "I can't…I can't turn into a dragon like you can. I can't be a dragon." As much as he would like to be. He hated himself for it, but he still wanted to be accepted-or if not accepted, he at least wanted the people of Fortuna to know that they were wrong about him.

"Is that the problem?" Dante smirked.

"Well, yeah. It's kinda a major one," he pointed out flatly.

"It's because you haven't unlocked it yet. Unleashing your devil side isn't fun, quite the opposite actually."

"What do you have to do?"

"Well, you have to reach the verge of death," he explained as he scratched the back of his head, before continuing haltingly. "Where the only thing that's keeping you alive is that little bit of demonic power you've tapped into before…and you realize that it's bigger…a lot bigger than you thought it was. You can't reach it unless you really want it…unless you have something you really need to live for. Then it…just _happens_, it's all yours, but…" he trailed off, searching for words to explain.

"But what?"

"That's where it's dangerous. That moment is where you see…where you realize if you control the demonic power, or it controls you."

His eyes widened slightly. Well…that was terrifying. He didn't particularly like the amount of influence his demonic instincts were having already-and getting _more_ of that?

"Heh," he nervously scratched his nose. "I don't think I'm really ready for any more of that."

He smirked. "Probably not, but when the time comes I'm sure you'll handle it just fine," the older male commented as he kissed his forehead

* * *

_Later that night…_

Nero let the darkness mask him as he carefully slipped between the guards on patrol of the Fortunian wall. He used to be on said patrols so he knew where the gaps were. That was the hardest part of his trip back to the city. There was a strict curfew so there was no one out this late-or, this early to be more accurate. The streets were his, though he still kept away from the unlit street lamps as he made his way to his old home.

It was early in the morning by this point and a few animals in their pens were awake, he had to make an effort to avoid them as well. His demonic energy especially seemed to rile up animals and they'd make a lot of noise if he wasn't careful.

The lights were out at home, just as he'd expected. He moved around to the back of the house and used his bringer to launch himself up onto the windowsill of his old room. He tried to pull the shutters open but quickly realized that it had been locked. He never locked his window so Kyrie or Credo must have…

He jumped down and went to the garden near the back of the lawn, rolling one of the stones to retrieve the spare key for the house. It would be more dangerous to go in through the door, but he'd never get away with breaking through the shutters.

He quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside. His heart wretched as the need to call out, wanting to announce his presence with an 'I'm home.' He bit his tongue and closed the door, locking it behind him and leaving the key on a small table. He'd probably go back out through the window rather than walk all the way back through the house.

He walked into the living area, rolling his steps as to mute them. He took the stairs two at a time, careful to skip the squeaky one three from the top. His room was the furthest back of course so he had to be careful as he tiptoed down the hall past Kyrie's room, then Credo's. His heart lunged into his throat when he heard a shuffle from his brother's room, letting out a slow breath of relief when all returned to silence.

The door to his old room was left open a crack, allowing him to avoid the noise of turning the knob. When he looked inside however he saw that his room had been taken apart completely. His clothes were all torn out of the closet, presumably filling the bags laying on the floor. The bed was stripped, everything he'd had on the walls were taken down.

'_Well they didn't waste any time,' _he thought bitterly. _'Then again, maybe they felt guilty so they couldn't bear the thought that all my worldly possessions were two doors down.'_

Nero didn't need a lot of his stuff, mostly clothes and of course his weapons. He didn't spot Red Queen or Blue Rose right off the bat and he really hoped they were here somewhere and the Order hadn't confiscated them. It was one thing to break into his old house-he knew this place like the back of his hand, it was a completely different matter to break into headquarters. They were armed and guarded to the teeth and he hadn't done many patrols there.

Nero quietly went through a few of the bags, throwing things he wanted to take with him into another bag. He'd still been unable to find his weapons, but he wasn't too worried yet. They were probably in one of the bags so he continued looking.

He paused when he heard a noise, like someone entering the room-he hadn't closed the door behind him so it very well could have been someone coming in without him really noticing! He whirled around and felt white-hot pain flare through his chest. He screamed and felt blood spattering his lips, filling his mouth as he grabbed the blade; his blade, Red Queen. He looked up at Credo's face, it held nothing but hate and contempt for the 'demon' that was suppose to be his brother. It was like he thought Nero had a choice in the matter.

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Some of you have already read the rest of this scene as part of chapter 85 of Ebony and Ivory Queens, but this is about the mid point of the entire story so I just split it this way. Hope you guys liked it :3 Until next time!

Ja ne!

~Bitbyboth May 27, 2013


	2. Chapter 2

Dragon Heart CHAPTER 2

SirenaLoreley: Yeah, it was awhile ago on E&I but I've been working on it ever since! XD Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

Afrieal: Glad I could brighten your day! I've been working on this story since I posted the chapter for E&I so, it's been in work for a long while now! Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

Flame-Metal-Heart: Yep, Nero's in a bit of a pickle! Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

xXViraXx: I'm glad you like it, I can't remember how I even got this idea but I really liked it XD The ending is this chapter :3 Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

Guest: I know, I had to go read the ending too after I posted the last chapter XD Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

L. K. Heinrich: Yes, I decided I could do a lot more with it and so I made it into a 12ish page story :3 Thanks for reviewing! *gives cookies*

Thanks for all the encouragement everybody, I really appreciate it. This is the last chapter (just a 2 shot) so I hope you guys like it! :3

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"Credo," he croaked. "Credo stop, please."

"You don't belong here demon."

"I am a demon Credo," he admitted. "…but that doesn't make me bad." It hurt to breathe, but he continued regardless. "Good and evil is in what you do…not what you are."

"All demons are evil."

Nero found irony in that statement and released a breathy chuckle. "Sparda was a demon." As he spoke he felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor. His lower position only gave the Captain better leverage to plunge the blade in deeper.

"How dare you!?"

Nero let out another howl of agony, but it was cut short as blood filled his mouth and choked him, making him cough and spit..

"Credo!" The voice belonged to Kyrie, sounding horrified and frightened at the same time. To Nero it sounded very far away. Black was starting to cloud over his vision and he could feel an abyss, that must have been death, opening to swallow him up. At the same time his arm flashed a bright blue and he could feel that power, the huge well of it that could be all his if he just gave a little something in return, just a little piece of his soul. He needed to get out of here. Dante was waiting for him to come back right outside the wall.

He tapped into the trove of power and a blue explosion surrounded him, but he paid it no mind, too busy with the demands for power, destruction and revenge trying to infiltrate his consciousness. He gathered his wits and started to dispel the urges. He didn't need more power, what good was it with no one to share it with? He didn't need destruction, what was the use of it? And he really didn't want revenge. Taking revenge on the people he cared about for making a decision they didn't fully grasp made no sense whatsoever. Rationalizing those thoughts, he was able to push them away, but they rested on the edge of his consciousness. He was in control for now.

He opened his eyes to find everything was sharply in focus, the pain and gaping wound in his chest were gone, as was Red Queen. He also seemed…higher. He looked down at himself and gasped. He had at some point assumed the form of an honest to goodness dragon! He looked much like his devil bringer did normally, covered in a thick rust-colored hide with thicker dark blue scales in vital areas. He also noticed stripes of glowing flesh down his back and sides. He even had huge dark blue wings, however due to the cramped space they were tucked up against his body, along with his tail.

So Dante really wasn't lying. He actually was a dragon. Who would've thought? He was so busy marveling at himself he'd completely forgotten about the two humans in the room. He looked down when he heard a murmur. The blast of his trigger had knocked Kyrie and Credo back. The female was unconscious, but his brother was standing, using the wall behind him for support.

"Dragon…you're a…"

"Demon," Nero interrupted. "Remember?"

"No-I mean I didn't know-"

"You weren't wrong Credo," he replied plainly.

"I don't understand why it's so hard for you guys to accept Sparda was _good_, and a demon, and a dragon. I just can't figure out why it's so damn incompatible." Dante spoke up from his perch in the broken out window. He'd felt Nero's power spike and assumed something bad had happened. Seemed he hadn't been too far off.

"Who are you?" Credo demanded, but Dante ignored him as he was wont to do.

"You make a pretty good dragon there kid, but if you don't want to break anything else you might want to take it down a few notches."

Nero took a deep breath, and could feel the power ebbing away from him until there was a gentle flare of blue light and he returned to human form. He stumbled, feeling weaker than a kitten and was kept from hitting the floor by Dante's arm going around him to steady him. He blinked at the fact that Red Queen was in his hand now, but decided now wasn't the time to question it.

Credo looked between the two of them incredulously. "You're both dragons."

"Uh, yes." Dante said, words slightly clipped. He was the only one here who could have hurt Nero enough to initiate his trigger response, so he wasn't terribly happy with the brunette.

"It's okay," Nero whispered to his partner before turning his attention back to his brother. "Where's my crossbow? Blue Rose."

"Uh, over there," the Captain gestured next to the door. No wonder Nero hadn't noticed it, it was behind him the whole time. The younger half-devil's right arm shot out and snatched it up. "What are you going to do?" Credo asked.

"I'm getting my stuff and leaving," he said, as though it were terribly obvious.

"But you can come back! You're a dragon, the people-"

"Turned on me at the drop of a hat!" he snapped angrily. "And so did you. I don't _trust_ any of you, why would I want to come back?"

Credo looked shocked, as though this thought hadn't even occurred to him. "Nero, I thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong. You were _wrong_ about me. I'm not evil and I never was. It wouldn't have mattered if I was a dragon, or any other kind of demon. I would never hurt you like you hurt me. That's why I'm leaving. If I can't even trust the people that I live with-that have known me my whole life, then there's no one in this city I can believe in. This is goodbye Credo. I'm never coming back," he stated, picking up the bag on the floor he'd thrown some of his clothes into earlier and putting it over his shoulder. He frowned and his voice softened when he looked at his sister. "Tell Kyrie I'm sorry if I hurt her…Come on Dante, let's go."

The red clad devil had been uncharacteristically silent, though it was probably because of the gravity of the situation. He nodded at Nero's comment before heading back over to the window and leaping out. Nero had regained enough of his strength to follow suit. Credo followed to the window.

"Nero, wait, please-" he stopped when he saw Dante had become a large red dragon and Nero climbed on his back. He'd flown with his partner more than a few times and figured this would be easier than sneaking back out of the city. Changing back into his own dragon form and flying was out of the question. He didn't think he had the energy to do it again yet and he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to fly without some practice.

"Don't come looking for me. I'm happy where I'm going,"

Dante made a kind of purring noise at that, Nero smirked and patted the side of his scaly neck.

"Yeah, come on ya big lizard, let's go home."

"Does that make you a little lizard?" he asked cheekily before launching himself off the ground and into the sky.

Nero chuckled as he relaxed, watching the sun peeking over the horizon, dawning a new day. The first day of his new life. "Yeah. I guess it does," he murmured, resting his cheek against Dante's mane and letting his eyes close. He wanted to block out any images of the city before they got away from it. He was done with the place. Or so he told himself.

* * *

_Several days later…_

Nero had yet to get a handle on his draconic form. At times it seemed awkward and clunky, like when he was trying to walk around, and other times it felt perfectly suited to him, like in flight. Learning to fly hadn't come quickly, it had taken a few prickly crash landings, before he realized he was thinking too hard about it and gotten the hang of it.

Dante was also teaching him to fight in his demon form, which came much more easily. As nice as it was for Dante to teach him Nero liked to do some things on his own. Dante was still asleep as Nero came out into the clearing they'd been using to practice.

He flicked his tail from side to side, figuring out the weight and balance before lashing it forward, the built in blade leaving a large gouge in the earth. He tilted his head, examining the damage before arching his neck, stretching the long vertebra and adjusting to his more sweeping range of motion.

Having a completely different body was…strange to say the least, but at the same time felt natural. It was a weird kind of duality but he was getting accustomed to it.

He paused his practice when he realized he was hearing something. He swiveled his head towards it, listening until the sound came again. His bright blue eyes widened. It was a scream-one that he recognized.

Kyrie.

His feet were moving, galloping towards the sound as his brain scrambled to figure out what was going on. Why was Kyrie out so far from the city? What was attacking her? Was she okay?

He found a break in the tree cover and beat his wings, launching himself into the air for a better view. Once there he saw immediately what the problem was. A phoenix. One that harassed Fortuna on a semi-regular basis. Nero was usually the only one able to chase it off after a long-winded fight.

A roar tore from his throat, the sound-one he'd never made before-primal and terrifying. Kyrie stopped fumbling through the undergrowth to look up in awe. It also garnered the attention of the phoenix who seemed to decide the he was a better target and flew upwards towards him.

Nero flicked his tail forward, causing the bird to move out of the way before flapping hard, flames flying from its wings. The young dragon rolled away through the air. He'd had the most practice at flying so he was pretty comfortable doing some advanced maneuvers.

He'd moved closer to the phoenix who scratched and pecked at him until Nero snapped his huge jaws making the demon quickly reconsider, and backed off, flying away. He was about to follow but stopped when he heard his name and looked down to see his sister.

Well, he couldn't…he wouldn't just avoid her. He flew down and landed through a gap in the tress, flattening the undergrowth as he hit the ground.

"Nero?" she whispered, looking him over. She was holding her arm, making him think that she was hurt.

He let his head bob once in confirmation before letting his dragon form melt away. He stumbled at the loss of power. Dante could shift back and forth with ease, Nero was still getting used to it. He did nearly topple over when Kyrie's arms flew around his neck..

"I'm so sorry Nero. I'm so sorry about everything that happened. It's all my fault," she cried burying her face in his shoulder. "I shouldn't have told Credo. I didn't know he was going to react like that. I was just worried about you. I thought he'd know how to help you."

Nero didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything, just placed his left hand on her shoulder until she calmed down.

"Please say something," she begged, as she pulled back a little to look at him.

"I don't know what there is to say Kyrie. Is that why you came all the way out here? To apologize?"

She nodded, eyes filling with tears again.

"You could have gotten yourself killed. Are you hurt?"

She started to shake her head, but stopped to hold up her right arm. It was burned from elbow to wrist. He reached out with his demonic arm to examine it, then thought better of it and switched to his left.

"It's okay," she said, looking at the demonic appendage, curious. He hated that look. It made him feel like a freak show attraction. He tucked his arm behind him.

"Really Nero, you don't need to-"

"I don't like using it, okay?" he said impatiently and she shut her mouth, cringing as he touched the burn. "You're lucky you didn't get hurt any worse, but this is pretty bad, you're going to need someone to look at it."

"You okay kid?" His head snapped up at the familiar voice and Kyrie looked over to see the man in red-an outsider. She took a step back.

"I thought you were asleep," Nero offered in reply.

"Well, I was, but I heard you call."

"Call..?" He paused then remembered roaring at the phoenix. It was pretty loud. "Oh yeah." He glanced at the auburn haired girl. "Relax Kyrie, this is Dante," he introduced, said devil offered a bow with a flourish.

"Um, hello," she said shyly.

"I'm going to take her home, this phoenix was chasing her-"

"That damn thing is back?" he grumbled then sighed. "Yeah, it is about that time of year."

Nero quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I tangle with that thing a few times a year, if I manage to damage it enough it doesn't come back for almost a whole year."

"That thing harasses Fortuna once in awhile too. I usually have to fight it off."

"Well, dragons are best suited to fight a phoenix, mortal enemies or something, so I guess that makes sense."

He let out a sigh and made a mental note to pick his partner's brain about that particular subject later. "Okay, well, I gotta get her home, she's hurt."

"You want me to go with you?"

The younger slayer's gaze went from his lover to his nervous sister and he shook his head. "No, I'll be alright."

The older dragon shrugged before giving a nod of affirmation.

Nero returned to his dragon form to take Kyrie home, he wanted to get her back as soon as possible, before the knights started tearing up the forest looking for her. Dante helped her up onto his back.

"You sure you're gonna be alright, kid?" he asked as the female looked at the dragon once more in awe. She lightly ran her hand over his scales.

"Yeah," he leaned down close to his partner to growl softly. "I'm not going all the way into the city. I'll be fine."

Dante reached out to pat his nose lightly and nodded. "You call again if you need me."

"I will," he promised, though he doubted he would. Why would he need to? The red devil backed up so that Nero could launch himself up into the sky.

The ride was fairly quiet, Kyrie holding on and just admiring the view and Nero concentrating on her weight so she wouldn't fall off. It didn't take long before Fortuna came into view and the dragon felt himself sighing, this was probably the last place he wanted to be.

"Nero, what is that?" the woman asked, pointing at something near the edge of town.

The dragon frowned and squinted into the distance and saw what she was talking about. It looked like there was a fire, something that happened once in awhile with the buildings in Fortuna so close together. After a moment though he saw some of the fire break away from the buildings. The phoenix had come to the city.

"It's the phoenix, must have come here after I chased it off," he replied as he flew down closer to the ground and landed, hunkering down so his sister could slide off his neck. She did and carefully walked around in front of him.

"You're going to do something, aren't you?" she asked.

"Why would I? That's what the knights are for, they'll handle it."

"But you're a knight."

He snorted. "Not anymore. I distinctly remember that title being removed before I was tied to a stake."

"Well it doesn't matter! What about what you said?" she demanded.

"What I said?"

"That being a demon didn't make you bad, and being human doesn't make you good? You told me that. You know it's the right thing to help, even if the people turned against you."

"Everyone in that city turned their backs on me. I'm just returning the favor."

"Nero!" she gasped in shock, and he cringed suddenly feeling guilty and not quite sure why.

Kyrie felt tears welling up again and tried to stifle them. "Please Nero. This isn't like you. You protect people. You want me to believe you haven't changed…but it's hard for me to see it."

He let out a long sigh. Maybe she was right. He _had_ changed, he had to, but he couldn't let it make him bitter and callous. That wasn't the person he was nor wanted to be.

"Fine. I'll help," he agreed. "Back up and stay here."

She did as she was told and Nero launched back into the air, beating his wings to pick up speed as he barreled towards the city. The bird demon wasn't expecting the attack and Nero slammed into him like a freight train, sending him hurtling into the ground as he soared upwards. The phoenix shrieked in anger and beat his wings to right his balance before flying up towards the dragon. Nero's tail slashed out at his opponent, nicking the bird's body before he managed to dive out of the way. Red blood sizzled and smoked as it hit the stone street below, knights quickly moving out of the way.

The phoenix made a motion with his wing and a wave of fire lashed out at the new dragon. The half-devil quickly soared out of the way of it, a few traces of it licking at his scales, but the heat didn't reach him. After the flames stopped flying he lunged forward to snap his sharp fangs into his opponent, but the phoenix flew back, raking his taloned feet over Nero's face-too close to his eyes for comfort making him recoil.

Their fight was a flurry of slashing talons, teeth and tails, most missing or scraping off hard scales. Flames flew from both participants, roars and screeches rending the air as they fought until Nero lost his altitude, landing instead on the stone streets, sending a jet of flame at the phoenix. It was easier to fight from the ground when he didn't have to worry about where all his limbs were at any given time.

The half-devil realized that the bird's balance probably wasn't the greatest hovering there in the air he could use his wings to disrupt his flight. He turned a bit to lift his wings high and beat them in order to ripple the air. The phoenix struggled to keep his balance in the disturbance and fell backwards, flipping over the ground before trying to right itself. Nero didn't give it the chance as his right hand shot out and snatched the Phoenix closer again before slamming it into the ground. The creature let out a cry of agony and the vivacity of its flames died down as several of its fragile bones snapped under the brutal attack.

Nero had always found brute force worked well against this particular type of demon, and he had more brute force in one arm than the entire Order had. Even still, this was still the quickest he'd ever managed to down the usually crafty bird. Typically if he was able to injure it enough it simply flew away to come back and fight another day. It wasn't as though one could actually kill a phoenix. He smashed it once more into the ground before the flame extinguished and he gave a soft sigh. He'd never actually managed to down it before-just chase it off. So what happened now?

Before he got the answer to that question he saw a flicker of red and black and Dante slammed into him, wedging himself between the younger dragon and his downed opponent holding his wing up to block a suddenly violent torrent of fire.

"You don't want to be right next to a phoenix when it's reducing itself to ashes kid," he explained with a reptilian smirk, Nero rolled his eyes.

After a minute the flames ceased and Dante pulled back his wing, tucking it against his back before they saw a small bird come out of the ashes and dart off over the wall and into the wilderness.

"Well…looks like that's that. Shouldn't be back for awhile." Nero murmured.

Their exchange was cut short as they heard cheering. Nero tilted his head before swiveling towards the sound, taking a step away from his partner. A crowd had gathered-far enough from the fight they didn't get injured, but they were closing in now that it was over.

The young dragon was puzzled, he'd fought the phoenix dozens of times before, and usually got a clap on the back from some of the other knights-the one who liked him a little bit, or at least tolerated him because he could fight. Otherwise he was met with animosity and jealousy. This was a change of pace.

He then realized they were calling out 'dragon' and 'savior.' They had no idea who he really was. Looking over the crowd he didn't see Credo anywhere. He was the one who knew him, who should have been here. Well, it was about time everyone else found out.

He released the energy necessary to keep his dragon form and returned to human. Dante stood close enough to lean on if necessary, but Nero managed to stay very steady somehow. The cheers died down to shocked silence.

The ex-knight took a few steps forward. "What's wrong? I'm a dragon, your savior right?" he asked scathingly, opening his arms before letting them drop back to his sides. A few people in the crowd flinched.

"I just don't get it," he admitted. "I used to do the same thing when I was a knight and hardly anyone noticed or cared. Do it as a dragon and the whole city turns up. Fancy that." He snorted and shook his head. "None of you seem to recognize good or evil until it's force fed to you. His Holiness says I'm evil-a demon, and he's always right, so I am, right? Black and white. Then again I'm a dragon, does that make me good, or somewhere in between?"

He shook his head. "To tell you the truth I don't give a damn anymore. Think what you want of me, good or evil, but for crying out loud make up your mind on your _own_, instead of letting someone else _tell _you how to think."

Looking out over the crowd he was met mostly with blank stares and a lot of confusion and even some anger. He'd planted a seed though. A little doubt and uncertainty. He'd made them question themselves, something he'd never thought he'd have the power to do. Some people didn't like to think. It was simply easier to take in someone else's view of something and accept it. That was the way Sanctus preached, he was the word and he must be believed, but this time he was wrong and it was about damn time the people of the city realized no one was infallible.

It was hardly a fairytale ending, but rarely anything was. He'd done what he could and he was actually a little proud of the results. It was about time to go though, before anyone started asking more prodding questions. He glanced back at Dante, he was exhausted from switching back and forth to his dragon form, he wasn't sure if he could manage it again.

The red dragon grinned and shifted his shoulder down a bit. Nero ran up his leg and sat on his back.

"Wait, where are you going?" one of the women in the crowd called out as Nero looked out he couldn't pick out who it was who had said it.

"I'm going home," he replied. "This place is a little stuffy for me. Last time I was here I said I would never come back…but if things change…" he shrugged. "Maybe I'll be back."

"Can we go now?" Dante asked. He was completely unaccustomed to not being the center of attention and Nero chuckled.

"Yeah, let's get out of here before Sanctus gets here, or they try to stop us," he mumbled.

The red dragon laughed. "Like they could." He beat his wings, launching them off the ground and into the air as Nero hung on for dear life. This time as they left, Nero found himself looking back.

"You really think they'll change?" Dante wondered.

He shrugged. "I don't know. They could." he murmured.

"Guess that's the best you can hope for."

Nero looked to the side to see two figures heading back towards the city. Credo had found Kyrie, he must've been out looking for her. The two were looking up and he smiled a bit and waved and they waved back.

"Change happens all the time…I think the only thing we can ever hope is that it's change for the better," he said with a small smile, hoping he'd set Fortuna on the right path.

* * *

That's it! This story is finished and I really hope you guys like it. I agonized over this stupid ending forever. I'm terrible at endings ;_; Anyway, like I said, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Until next time!

Sayonara!

~Bitbyboth June 4, 2013


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